1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wagering games, particularly wagering games using playing cards or images of playing cards, and wagering games played on casino tables, video machines, multi-player platforms or the internet.
2. Background of the Art
Among the successful poker game variants are Let It Ride Bonus® poker, Three Card Poker® game and Caribbean Stud® poker. These games have each achieved a high level of commercial success with different formats and attributes.
Let It Ride® stud poker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081. The Bonus version of the game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,424. In this game, the player makes a wager in three parts, three cards are dealt to each player (there may be only a single player), and two common cards are dealt face down in front of the dealer. The player examines his/her three cards, evaluates the likelihood of a ranked hand (e.g., at least a pair of tens) being achieved with those three cards and the as yet unseen common cards. The player, based on judgment of that likelihood, may elect to withdraw the first of the three-part wager or keep the wager at risk. Upon the player making that decision, and withdrawing or allowing the first wager to remain at risk, a first of the common cards is turned face up. The player then can make another decision with regard to the play of the hand and whether there is a changed potential for a ranked hand. A second portion of the three-part wager is then withdrawn or allowed to remain at risk. After this decision, the last common card is exposed, and the rank of each player's hand, including the common cards, is evaluated. Payments are made to each player based on only the rank of hand achieved and the number of wagers left on the table from the original three-part wager. As noted, at least one wager must remain, as only two parts can have been withdrawn. Wagers are paid off at rates (or odds), for example, of 1:1 for pairs of at least 10's, 2:1 for two pairs, 3:1 for three-of-a-kind, 5:1 for straights, 7:1 for flushes, 12:1 for full houses, 50:1 for four-of-a-kind, 250:1 for straight flushes, and 1000:1 for Royal Flushes. The specific payout odds can be varied and often casinos choose payout tables that help them achieve a desired percentage hold. Side bonus wagers may also be placed in which ranked hands over three-of-a-kind receive fixed or progressive bonuses, such as $25,000 for a Royal Flush. The bonus payouts and hand combinations are typically displayed on a payout table on the table surface. The winning bonus combinations are typically a higher-ranking subset of the winning base game outcomes.
Texas Hold'Em and Omaha poker are among the most played casino and club table poker games and have achieved new celebrity status because of extensive television coverage of tournament games. There are also variants of the game that have been known in the industry for years, such as a game called “Fast Action Hold'Em” that was originally licensed in New Jersey in the 1990's The substantive content of the disclosure of Fast Action Hold'Em, as confirmed by multiple sources (including the New Jersey CCC publication) is as follows:                Each player is dealt four cards.        Each player keeps two cards (by the player's choice) and the other two cards are discarded.        The dealer is also dealt four cards (face down).        The dealer keeps two cards and discards the other two cards.        Five “Community” cards are dealt face-up. These cards are called community cards because both the player and the dealer use these cards.        To win, the player's hand must be better than the dealer's hand. The dealer wins ties.        The player's hand is the best 5-card hand made up of any combination of the player's two cards and the five community cards.        In this game, the player either wins or loses—there is no bonus payoff for really strong hands.        If the player wins, the amount anted is doubled (1:1 payout). If the player loses, the ante is lost.In basic essentials, the game is a direct play of Omaha poker (itself a variant of Hold'Em poker) played directly against a dealer.        
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20050107148 (WEBB), describes a house banked casino game simulates play of Texas Hold'Em. Each player places a competition wager, which is without a house advantage, and each player places a proposition wager. Hands of playing cards are dealt to each player, and at least one least community card is dealt to a community card area. The competition wager is resolved according to a poker rank of one player hand against a poker rank of another player hand, and the proposition wager is resolved according to the poker rank of each player hand against a payout scale. The rules are simple to execute and play eliminating skill decisions, thereby appealing to average or inexperienced players. The proposition wager further increases player interest by providing a chance for a high payout.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,145 (WEBB) describes a casino game that incorporates at least a first compulsory playing mode and one or more optional playing modes without a house advantage. Preferably, the first playing mode is a three-, five- or seven-card poker game against a payout scale based on the respective hand poker rank or against both a payout scale and the dealer. Optional modes without a house advantage include head-to-head poker games against the dealer only and poker games against other players. Side wager options are also available for high hands, thereby increasing player interest by providing a chance for a high payout.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20040266507 (COOPER) describes a device and method for playing a game where the player allocates a game wager among a plurality of game hands, the cards of which are undisclosed. Upon allocation, the cards of the game hands are revealed and the player wins or loses based upon the holding of each game hand. In a further embodiment, information concerning winning holdings may be imparted to the player prior to allocation and revelation of the game hands cards.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20040113363 (MOODY) describes a game in which a player makes a wager which is allocated among a plurality of stud poker hands to be played by the player. One of the wagers is allocated to a full hand of cards and the other wagers are allocated among poker hands that are comprised of various subsets of the full hand. The player is then dealt the full hand of cards. The player wins or loses depending on the stud poker hand ranking of the full hand. The various subsets of hands are then analyzed to determine whether there are any winning hand combinations among the subset of hands. Awards for winning hand combinations are made to the player based on the poker hand ranking of each subset hand and the full hand according to a pay table and the amount wagered by the player on each subset hand and the full hand.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20030022709 (AWADA) describes a wagering game on gaming machines. In one of three table games and in one of two games played on a gaming machine, three card Stud Poker, five card Stud Poker and seven card Stud Poker are combined. In a second table game, five card Stud Poker and Seven Card Stud Poker are combined. In a third table game three card Stud Poker and seven card Stud Poker are combined. In a second game played on the gaming machine, five card Draw Poker and seven card Stud Poker are combined.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 20020103018 (ROMMERDAHL) describes a method and game system for playing multiple contests utilizing one or more cards from a single set of cards. In one or more embodiments, the gaming system includes a game engine and an evaluator. Embodiments of the invention include an intelligent, poker playing slot machine that allows a user to play poker for money against one or more intelligent or non-intelligent, simulated opponents. In one embodiment, the gaming system includes a simulation engine which generates actions for the simulated player(s). The simulation engine allows a real person, or user, to play against intelligent, simulated opponents. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the gaming system permits a user-player to play first and second poker contests. In one embodiment, one or more cards which are dealt to a player for use in the first contest are used in the play of the second contest. In one or more embodiments, one of the contests comprises a video-poker type game. When a user-player plays against the simulated opponent, the gaming system may include a static evaluator for determining whether the user-player is a winner of the video-poker type game by comparison to predetermined criteria. Other aspects of the invention include payout and jackpot arrangements for multiple contests.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,695 (ANGEL) describes a video implemented casino card game that deals multiple hands. In a preferred embodiment the game includes a means for simulating a plurality of players on a game display. Each simulated player is dealt a hand of cards pursuant to a predetermined card game selected by a game player. Subsequent to the initial deal, the game player selects which hand to play. Once the hand has been selected, each hand is fully played. Only the game player's hand is fully revealed during play. Based on the game player's final cards, the player is paid according to a pay table. Thereafter, all hands are revealed and the game player is paid a bonus amount if the player's selected hand is the highest hand of the dealt hands. In a card game requiring a draw, or decision, unselected card hands are played according to a preprogrammed methodology within a gaming machine's internal microprocessor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,150 (JONES) describes that in a casino card game, provisions are made for a jackpot component awarded after initially dealt cards are reviewed and additional cards are dealt, in which predetermined prizes are awarded players who participate in the jackpot component by placing additional wagers and the prizes are based upon preselected arrangements of playing cards in the hands after additional cards are dealt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,781 (FEOLA) describes a casino card game that allows players to wager against the casino using the rules of stud poker. A number of stud poker hands are dealt as lines on a playing surface and players wager as to which hand will have the highest stud poker ranking. The playing surface has a dealer position including a line for each hand dealt, and player positions in a semicircle around the dealer position, each including a location at which wagers are placed. Game options include choosing the hand with the lowest ranking instead of the highest ranking, having indicators that indicate the hands with the currently highest and/or lowest ranking, requiring an ante or vigorish if only two hands are played, playing with more than one deck of playing cards, allowing one of the players to be the bank, playing on a video machine, a personal computer, a slot machine, over an on-line computer network, or on another type of one-way or interactive gaming or entertainment equipment, and playing with a match jackpot and/or a tough beat jackpot.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,206,373 and 6,637,747 (GARROD) describe variations on the play of Omaha Poker, which is a variant of Texas Hold'Em poker. In addition to a unique format of play in which a card is “specified to the dealer's hand” (that is a card of a specific rank is given to the dealer as part of the dealer's hand, a concept not envisioned by Shuffle Master, Inc. as meaningful to the art), the Patents and claims are alternatively directed towards more fundamental formats of Hold'Em poker play formats.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,249 (JOHNSON) describes a method for playing a card game comprising the steps of providing at least one player with an opportunity to place a wager, displaying a first plurality of playing card indicia to form a plurality of partial card hands, allowing the player to assign the wager to one of the plurality of partial card hands, and subsequently completing the card hands by displaying an additional plurality of card indicia. When the hands have been completed, a winning payout is provided to any and all players who successfully assigned their wagers to the partial card hand which resulted in the complete hand having a particular value, e.g. the highest poker ranking.